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Music games are giving us too much, says Pachter
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21 December '09 18:42 UTC by Chris Taylor

There's no denying that music games are over-saturating the market. Every other week there is a new Guitar Hero being announced, but no-one seems to be buying them. Both The Beatles Rock Band and DJ Hero did pretty poorly in sales but why is this?

Michael Pachter, one of the most prominent analysts in the industry, puts it down to the fact that each game gives us way too much content.

"(Game) publishers have probably done themselves a disservice by giving us way too much value for our money with each of these games. You just get way too much content. The installed base has a lot of music, and they don't really need a lot more. It's sort of like buying more books when you have a stack of books left to read. You just don't."

I'm still playing Rock Band 2 almost a year or so on but I did still buy The Beatles Rock Band and I'm even considering DJ Hero. For me, the reason why I don't buy certain music games now is because of the setlists. If a game has an average setlist *cough*GuitarHero5*cough* I'm not going to buy it. Sure, having loads of plastic instruments is a pain but I don't mind having them around. I can see where Pachter is coming from but other factors definitely are in play.

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Community Comments
#1 EarthbornEagle  Console Guide Pro App 19:57 21 Dec 2009 GMT  
Music games are rubbish just learn to play the actuall instrament it's a lot more rewarding 
#2 fincheyboy   20:17 21 Dec 2009 GMT  
I think Pachter should take a walk, a holiday and then make a career change. Noone would benefit if games had shorter setlists or fewer features, it wouldn't make gamers more likely to buy the DLC because we'd be less satisfied with the orignal product.
#3 Fusion   21:56 21 Dec 2009 GMT  
I think he's saying it's more the fact that each iteration has enough content on it that it doesn't warrant another game a few months down the line.
Nobody is wanting to buy the next Rock Band or Guitar Hero because they're still playing the old one.
I don't think he means to reduce the content but to just release them much further apart.

"It's sort of like buying more books when you have a stack of books left to read."
That quote in particular makes sense. You need to wait until you've read all the other books (finish playing the game) before you start any more.
#4 ShoBiz  Console Guide Pro App 00:49 22 Dec 2009 GMT  
Yeah, Fusion... Rock Band still has new DLC released all the time... No real reason to go out and spend a boatload of cash on new controllers, games, whatever when a game that came out a long time ago is still new... There'd have to be something really new and exciting for a person with an average income to go blow it on ANOTHER music game... Wheras DLC makes one FEEL like it's not that much money, and you get tons of that new content to master...
#5 Devindactyl  Console Guide Pro App 09:54 22 Dec 2009 GMT  
I think another issue with the music game genre is that a lot of us are getting bored with the vertical scrolling notes. None of the developers seem to be considering any alternate means of presentation any more. It worked for a while, and still has solid functionality, but I'd like to see something a bit more creative next.

And I'm not sure why everyone is talking about MW2 in here, seems a bit off subject, but here's my two cents: I wish everyone would stop whining about people "camping". It's simply one way to play the game, and I don't see any more people doing it this time around than before. Just learn to play better and campers are an easy kill.
#6 silentbazz   11:45 22 Dec 2009 GMT  
"Music games are rubbish just learn to play the actuall instrament it's a lot more rewarding"

Actually FPS games are rubbish - try shooting people with a real assault rifle, it's a lot more rewarding
;)
#7 The captain  Console Guide Pro App 13:00 22 Dec 2009 GMT  
What?!! We are not buying music games because they are all the same not because they give us to much content. If guitar hero halfed it's songs chances are there are going to be very few people like the songs less sales maybe music games should provide a different expeireience from the last million games. I want something new and exiting in music games otherwise I'm just paying for what I already have. Sorry went on a bit of a rant there
#8 Fusion   13:16 22 Dec 2009 GMT  
@Devindactyl

I honestly don't see another effective way to show the note track and still make it feel somewhat like a msuic game. It's been the same way since things like DDR and Pop'n Music and it's worked that way for a while.
With the innovations Harmonix are coming out with every game, every Rock Band game has had something new in it. Despite hating Greenday and being as uninterested in Greenday Rock Band as possible, I know that Harmonix will try their hardest to add something new, just like they have with every other game.
#9 Dvx Uk   19:55 22 Dec 2009 GMT  
Please avoid from switching the news point. If you have a debate head to our forums as thats what they are there for. These comment should be relating to the news post you are posting in!

Comment Rules: Please keep your comments relevant to this article. No swearing, No Spam, No unrelated links. Any comments found not following these rules will be edited or removed without prior warning.
#10 Stfu  Console Guide Pro App 05:00 23 Dec 2009 GMT  
@#1

That's like saying stop playing cod and be a real soldier. A game is a game and music games do give a lot including the ability to play all instruments and I bet it wasn't easy to get the consent of the lisenced music. So you sir and everyone else thinks we should just " learn" an instument stfu. It's just a game.
#11 Devon dave  Console Guide Pro App 09:55 23 Dec 2009 GMT  
I totaly agree with #1, you can pick a second hand cheep guitar up in perfect playing condition for at least half the price of the game + controler, plus in the amount of time you could of been playing the game you could actualy start learning some chords and start strumming out some tunes. Alot more rewarding than sitting in frount of the TV.

Twice the enjoyment, half the price! And you dont need to pay to play new songs!

Don't swear at me, was just my oppinion lol!
#12 Devindactyl  Console Guide Pro App 23:29 25 Dec 2009 GMT  
@Fusion
I certainly don't agree that music games have gone as far as they can go. Don't overlook music centered games, such as Patapon, that weren't simply "here's a guitar controller to play scrolling notes that sound like a guitar". I would like developers to look closer at these less obvious approaches to utilizing music as a controlling medium. I believe there will never be a point where creativity must be forced to bow out in place of familiarity. Then again, I'm no developer either. Easier said "make a new idea" than "here it is".
#13 Hammerhound  Console Guide Pro App 04:02 29 Dec 2009 GMT  
Rockband is the best online music game. Best platform. Best setlist. And beats gh for vox and drums. Not everyone can play "real" instruments. Thankyou Rockband for lettting us enjoy the love of music with online friends. Keep rockin!
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